Though most of my career is spent on the backside of the microphone, I have done my fair share of sitting behind the mystical and ominous soundboard. While I don't claim to be the best, I have proven myself quite adept at mixing sound.
But, mixing sound can be hard if the musician won't cooperate. After all, when I say "Please test your vocal mic," I don't mean say "check" once and wait. When I don't hear your voice, I turn you up. When you speak again and blow my eardrums out, I can't help but shake my head.
Then I have to put up with the guy who plays his instrument into his mic, waiting for me to get the level set, and then he won't quit! How can we move on to the next mic if you're still playing? Oh yeah. We can't.
The best sound checks happen when the artist shows the sound guy some respect. So now, we will look at a few phrases the artist and/or sound engineer might think about employing for a more enjoyable sound check experience.
Can't hear the baritone vocalist? Instead of "Does that guy have a microphone? Is it turned on? Am I the only deaf person?"
Consider: "Gentleman in the blue shirt with the dorky bowtie, I wish I could hear more of that glorious baritone in the house." To which should come the reply "Check..."
Banjo player too close to his mic? Instead of "Hold on now, Bubba, stop everything and back up!"
Consider: "The banjo's rich and driving sound would develop much more nicer and fuller if you took a few hundred steps back."
No bass player in the band? Too bad.
Guitar sound hole feeding back? Instead of "Gnahhhhh! That noisssse!"
Consider: "My bad."
I hope the sound men can find some of these to be quite helpful as they continue their quest to make every band sound good. I hope all the pickers reading can now finally empathize with all the technicians and engineers who make the "Check, check 1,2" audible.
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